A world-first study into the risks quiet hybrid cars pose to visually impaired pedestrians will be launched in Queensland on Thursday.

ED - Not to mention quiet motorbikes!

Malaysian road safety experts to enforce single-use lane system




A SURVEY conducted in Malaysia has revealed motorcycle-only lanes can help reduce fatalities among motorcyclists by up to 90 per cent.

USA - NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - As the number of baby boomers taking to the road on motorbikes has risen, so has the average age of motorcyclists involved in crashes with riders aged 40 plus more likely to be injured or killed, a U.S. study says.

USA Courses designed to make new motorcyclists safer are not decreasing crashes, according to a new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. However, research also shows that helmets and antilock brakes on motorcycles are life savers.

MOST drivers would support a cut in country road speed limits from 100km/h to 90km/h to improve road safety, research has found.

Safety expert for Mercedes says strict speeding laws are not the answer to lowering road tolls.

DEATHS on Victoria's roads have fallen by almost a third in a decade thanks to sharp drops in driver and passenger deaths, while motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities show smaller declines.

AMC - Some 4 weeks ago the SA Department of Transport Energy and Infrastructure installed the first piece of a 2 Km trial length of ‘Motorcycle Impact Attenuator’ to an existing stretch of W-Beam barrier on the infamous Gorge Rd just outside of Adelaide where many motorcycle fatalities and serious injury crashes have occurred over the years.

The SA Motorcycle Task force was negotiating with the DTEI for a 200 metre trial section of double W-Beam installation on a motorcycle black spot area.
The initial idea was to simply add an addition lower rail to the existing structure.
We were rather surprised some 8 months ago to be invited to a presentation to Departmental Engineers of the BASYC system from Spain.
This system is well entrenched in Spain and universally acclaimed by motorcyclists there and the rest of Europe generally.

DSE recognises the legitimate use of the forest by trail bike riders. The Victorian Government’s current challenge is to help put this recreational use onto a more sustainable footing by reducing current levels of conflict with residents and other forest users as well as reducing environmental impacts.

To help DSE understand rider issues and opportunities to effect positive change as well as better understand what services riders require, DSE commissioned a market research company to undertake a project investigating trail bike rider and retail industry knowledge and attitudes on key issues.

A new report shows the Northern Territory has the highest rate of serious motorcycle injuries in Australia.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report found motorcycles were the vehicle with the highest serious injury rate nationwide during the year to July 2007.

In the seven years between 2000 and 2006, around 150,000 motorcyclists were killed or injured on Britain’s roads. This report highlights key findings from the analysis of the information gathered by the police at the crash scene and recorded in the official statistics.

Motorcycle popularity in Australia continued to grow at a faster rate than any other vehicle type in the twelve months to March 2009, with registrations up by 10.0%. Motorcycle (including scooter) registrations have increased by 57.5% over the five years to 2009, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

This popularity saw motorcycles earn a 4.0% fleet share of all vehicles registered in Australia, rising from 2.9% in 2004. This compares with passenger vehicles, which have dropped from a 78.5% fleet share in 2004 to 76.7% in 2009.

What Motorcycles Hit shows a table of what motorcyclists hit (2004-2008) pulled from VicRoads Crash Stats.

What's interesting is that guard rails (which includes WRBs) are about 7.1% of injury crashes as opposed to 7.8% caused by hitting kangaroos. In other words, you are more likely to be injured hitting a roo than a WRB! Especially if you hit a kangaroo and then spear into a WRB like the poor guy in the ACT. How about we ask Vic Roads to implement a kangaroo shooting campaign?

Australian motorbike riders fall into one of six tribes, from adrenalin-seeking performers to money-conscious commuters, a survey has found.

Hysteria surrounding anti-bikie laws has led to NSW motorcyclists feeling more vulnerable on the road, with young motorists in particular having little respect for their safety, the NSW Motorcycle Council says.

Novice, experienced and returning motorcyclists wanted for paid study!

Click "Read more".

NSW

A recent survey found that more than 50 per cent of drivers felt tension between motorcycle and motorvehicle drivers in NSW; a statistic that has shocked the Motorcycle Council of NSW, an umbrella group for clubs, associations and ride groups.

THE CONFERENCE – “MAKING A DIFFERENCE”
Not everyone knows about the organization called RoadSafe and the good work being done in your local communities. There are 24 RoadSafe groups in Victoria; each of these groups has its RoadSafe Community Road Safety Council (CRSC) which addresses local issues. The CRSC I am involved in is RoadSafe Inner Northern CRSC; this consists of the council areas of Darebin, Moreland & Moonee Valley. This is my 4th year with the organization and last week, on the 8 & 9 October, I was lucky enough to attend the two-day RoadSafe Conference at Rydges (Bell City) in Preston - “Making a Difference”. This was an insight raising experience, full of information about the range of road safety issues as addressed at the conference. I invite you to go to this link and have a look at the details of “Making a Difference”.

Riding motorcycles helps keep drivers young by invigorating their brains, the scientist behind popular "Brain Training" computer software said Wednesday, citing a new scientific study

Motorcycle rider safety throughout Australia should be improved following the launch in Canberra today of the Good Gear Guide for Motorcycle and Scooter Riders, by the Minister for Transport, Anthony Albanese.